Art-performance «Clean the Arctic» was arranged by the National Park «Russian Arctic» on June 12 on the Northern Dvina River Embankment in Arkhangelsk. The climax of the performance was presentation of a sculpture made of garbage that had been collected on the Franz-Joseph Land. The sculpture was designed and created by talented trash-artists from Severodvinsk.

Seven empty fuel barrels were collected on the Graham Bell Island by the expedition of the National Park and delivered to Arkhangelsk by the research vessel «Mikhail Somov» in May. In addition to the barrels, the artists used mechanical parts and wire also delivered from the Arctic.

The sculpture depicts narwhal breaking out of the water. Narwhal is not only a symbol of the National Park «Russian Arctic», but also symbolizes fragility of the nature and its dependence on human beings. The performance was devoted to the Year of Natural Environment and the Day of Ecologist which is celebrated on June 5.

The main goal for creation of this art-object was a strong wish of the artists and ecologists to attract people’s attention to the fact that it is so necessary and important to continue cleaning in the Arctic, otherwise in the course of climatic changes and ice melting remaining fuel and lubricants from rusty barrels can get into the Arctic Ocean.

During the sculpturing process the audience was entertained by drummers from «44 Drums» whose instruments, by the way, look very much like barrels, and a dancing group «Pomor rhythm». Lively and rhythmical music did not let the people get frozen even in the cold and rainy weather.

August 9th, the Barents Region celebrated the UN International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The day was commemorated in several parts of the region, including Karasjok in Northern Norway and Teriberka in Northwestern Russia.

Sports in the Barents region have joined forces and established Barents Games. This weekend athletes from all over the region met in Oulu to compete in 14 differents sports during the Barents Summer Games. See our slide show from the competitions.